Alexandra's 6 layer Lasagna: Gluten/Dairy/Legume/Tomato Free

One of my core food groups used to be pasta.

Strangely...it has not been something I've really missed although from this blog you might see that I have attempted to recreate a few of my past favourites in accordance with my new food life. There are many varieties of rice pasta available but I don't like to overdo it (a hard task when you are gluten free).

Lasagna is one of my daughter's favourites. She regularly moans about not having it at our house and requests it at her dad's a lot (but he buys frozen stuff so it's just not the same she says).

I found gluten free rice lasagna pasta at the local grocery store recently and have been mulling what to do with it (no tomatoes? no dairy? yikes).

Seeing Karina's Uncheese Sauce Fit for a Goddess inspired me to whip up this creamy lasagna (with a slightly altered version of her recipe below). I served it with roasted sweet potatoes.

According to my daughter and a friend that was over for dinner last night....it was a perfect success. I am delighted and so grateful for Karina....she truly is a goddess :)

Karina the Goddess' Uncheese Sauce (my version...mostly the same)

4 tablespoons organic sunflower oil $2.09/L ON Karma
5 tablespoons sweet rice flour $1.67/kg THAILAND Chinatown, Toronto
2 1/2 cups organic plain rice milk (warm or room temperature is best) $2.09/L QC Karma
2 rounded tablespoons nutritional yeast $11.77/kg ? Ambrosia's
1/2 tsp sea salt or to taste $1.06/kg ? Karma
1/2 tsp organic yellow mustard seed or to taste ? ? Karma
1 tbsp organic apple cider vinegar or to taste (Filsinger's ) $2.90/L ON Karma
1/4 tsp organic nutmeg ? ? Karma
1/2 teaspoon organic turmeric for color $23.85/kg ? Karma


In a saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat, and stir in the rice flour using a whisk. Cook and stir the flour - making a thick paste. Stir for a few minutes to cook the raw flour taste out of it.

Slowly add in the rice milk, whisking to blend the flour paste and rice milk.

Bring the mixture to a bubble (it will thicken as it heats) then reduce the heat to low. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk to blend.

Continue heating and stirring the sauce over low heat for about five to ten minutes. Adjust seasonings if required (I used the exact measurements above).

This sauce is DELICIOUS and quite versatile and of course, I used it for the below lasagna. I'm looking forward to using it in other ways too.


Alexandra's 6 layer Lasagna

Layer 1:
The above sauce.

Layer 2:
1 cooked package brown rice lasagna noodles about $17.85/kg ON local grocery store health food section

Layer 3:
1 pound organic ground turkey $16.95/kg ON Beretta
1 medium lightly chopped organic onion $3.25/kg ON Karma
3 chopped cloves organic garlic $11.15/kg ON Karma
1/4 cup turkey stock (I make my own and freeze it).
Cook all of the above until turkey is thoroughly cooked.

Layer 4:
2 stalks chopped organic celery$2.90/bunch CA Karma
1/4 head of cauliflower florets $3.85/head CA Karma

Layer 5:
10 sliced organic crimini mushrooms $9.90/kg VA Karma

Layer 6:
1 bunch organic large spinach leaves washed with thick ribs removed $1.98/bunch CA Karma


I made two lasagnas with the above ingredients and each lasagna had two layers of all the ingredients (one 9"x13" pan and one smaller casserole pan). I added sauce on the top of both of them and also the leftover mushrooms.

Bake the lasagna at 375 F for approximately 30 minutes and then remove and cool by placing in the dishes in your fridge for at least 1 hour.

Alternatively, you could reduce the temperature to 350F and cook for an additional 20 minutes or so but allow the lasagna to cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

Reheat a completely cooled lasagna at 350 F for about 40 minutes and roast additional vegetables to serve with this dish.

Quinoa Spinach Pilaf

Quinoa Spinach Pilaf
1 medium lightly chopped organic onion $3.25/kg ON Karma1/2 cup frozen cranberries - thawed and chopped $2.09/kg ? Karma1 bunch organic spinach washed and loosely chopped $1.98/bunch CA Karma2 stalks lightly chopped organic celery$2.90/bunch CA Karma
1 cup organic quinoa (browned or toasted before adding) $3.52/kg MX Karma
2 cups water/vegetable stock/meat stock
salt and pepper to taste

Simmer the above for at least 20 minutes. Serve with grilled meat/poultry/fish/nuts.

Mostly Local Goat Millet Curry....Da Bomb

I have loved curry since I was wee thanks to a set of nannies I had as a small child.

I have evolved far beyond my Irish boiled meat and potato roots thanks to being raised in Toronto by two very culturally aware parents. Although they might not know it...they were both the original pioneers of food exploration for me and for that I am most humbly grateful.

Many years ago I acquired an authentic Indian cookbook that was produced in Kitchener by a famed local Chef, Bharti Vibhakar. The cookbook should still be available at her Spice of India store in Kitchener (more contact details are given in the first link...she operates a stall in the weekly Kitchener market downtown too). The recipes in her fabulous cookbook are vegetarian but the mix of spices have enabled me to create many a fine curry over the years. This curry (like most) tastes even better the next day.

And P.S. I'm working on gluten/diary/legume free chapatti ;)

Goat Millet Curry

Lightly brown 1 kg goat meat with bones using a grilling pan or your broiler $10.00/kg ON local grocery store

While the meat is broiling prepare the following:

1 medium lightly chopped organic onion $3.25/kg ON Karma
2 medium lightly chopped organic carrot $2.09/kg ON Karma
1 medium sized lightly chopped organic celeriac $3.95/kg ON Karma
2 tbsp white poppy seed (aka Khuskhus) widely available in Little India (Toronto)
2 cups water
Mix the above ingredients in a blender and set aside.

Heat a heavy bottomed pan with:
1 tbsp organic sunflower oil $2.09/L ON Karma
1 tsp cumin seeds widely available in Little India (Toronto)

Heat the cumin seeds until they begin to brown. Stir frequently to avoid burning.

Once the cumin seeds have been browned then add the blender mixture to the pan and then add the following spices:

1 tsp Garam Masala widely available in Little India (Toronto)
1 tsp Amchur Powder (ground mango, nice sour taste) widely available in Little India (Toronto)
1 tsp Turmeric widely available in Little India (Toronto)
1 tsp Hot Chili powder (more or less to taste) widely available in Little India (Toronto)
1 tsp sea salt $1.06/kg ? Karma

Add the browned goat meat with bones to the above mixture and let this simmer on low heat for at least 2 hours. Add the following at least 30 minutes before you want to serve this dish. Add additional water if you want a more watery texture for the final curry.

1 cup organic millet $1.75/kg ? Karma

I'm craving celery: Warm chicken salad with hemp oil ginger mustard vinaigrette

I've been trying to eat *mostly* local during this seeming-to-never-end winter (and fyi: winter is due to end at Mar 20 2008, 05:48 UT - phew).

Throughout my life...my nearly 41 years...I have experienced strange cravings for celery. The stranger thing about my current craving is that I've been eating celery regularly for at least 3 years. I like celery but I don't love it - but I love it if I have a craving ;)

So celery was a food item I only incorporated into my regular diet with reluctance before moving to a mostly fresh produce lifestyle completely about 3 years ago after fits and spurts of healthy food phases throughout my late 20s/early 30s. I am now very fond of celery but still don't love it.

Now...for me, eating any item regularly means that it is in my fridge (but not necessarily consumed daily) about 50% of the time.

A bunch of celery, for me and my teenage daughter, lasts about 2 weeks or maybe a bit less. She is not crazy about celery but will eat it...especially when it is hidden in blenderized sauces ;). I wait for at least 2 weeks before buying another bunch of celery and throughout this winter it has been less often due to the locavore diet I am trying to pursue. I also think that the regular rotation of our diet is important for digestive purposes i.e. not only ecological purposes.

So what's with this current craving I'm having for celery?

Methinks it is because my body is crying out for the abundance of fresh produce about to 'spring' from our land...and by fresh I mean LOCAL. Fresh is something that is within days of being harvested. Root vegetables and apples are the closest thing to 'fresh' that is available to us Ontarians at the moment.

So tonight I offer you my California grown organic celery with local hydroponic fresh greens chicken salad.

The hemp oil vinaigrette is quite yummy and I've been putting it on my salads for a few months now - but again, not all the time. I take breaks from all foods regularly so that my body is not constantly processing a limited number of food items. I happen to think that the abundance of a few type of foods in the current modern diet is a large part of the health issues that are arising in our modern world. I am not alone in that thinking either.

I was gonna call this salad: "I've fallen on the ice again so leftovers are a godsend" salad but I thought the celery craving aspect was a worthier title. I am mostly fully recovered from the fall. Nothing broke except maybe a little of my spirit. But, the spirit mends too. Sometimes much more quickly than our bodies.

Warm chicken salad with hemp oil ginger mustard vinaigrette
2/3 cup reheated previously cooked organic long grain brown rice $4.45/kg USA Karma
2/3 cup reheated previously cooked pieces of diced organic chicken $16.09/kg ON Beretta
1 medium raw organic carrot $2.09/kg ON Karma
2 stalks organic celery$2.90/bunch CA Karma
1 cup raw organic baby arugula$2.55/bunch ON Karma
2 tbsp raw organic sunflower seeds$22.66/kg ON Karma
2 tbsp hemp oil ginger mustard vinaigrette (see below for recipe)
hot chili pepper/hot cayenne and sea salt and pepper to taste

Hemp oil ginger mustard vinaigrette (this is for a 1 cup batch which can be kept in the refridgerator)
1/2 cup hemp oil $15.00/L MB Manitoba Harvest
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (Filsinger's ) $2.90/L ON Karma
1/2 tsp organic yellow mustard seed ? ? Karma
1/2 tsp organic ginger $36.17/kg ? Karma
1/2 tsp sea salt $1.06/kg ? Karma

and P.S. I took the below pic yesterday at Karma. 33 locally produced items in the fruits and vegetables section of the store on March 14th, 2008. That number will climb very shortly.....YEAH!!

Buckwheat Cranberry Stuffed Chicken and Kale Mushroom Acorn Squash

When was your last cooking experience with cast iron cookware?

Never? What?

It is amazing to think that many people in our modern world are so removed from basic cookware that served generations upon generations of humans.

Yes, it's heavy.

And no, it's not dishwasher safe.

If you have glazed over then you probably aren't interested in what I'm going to write next.

Cast iron cookware provides nutritional opportunities that other cookware can not. More specifically:

Researchers found that cooking in an iron skillet greatly increases the iron content of many foods. Acidic foods that have a higher moisture content, such as applesauce and spaghetti sauce, absorbed the most iron. (via which is an excellent summary of the 1986 research publication)

Yup, you read that correctly. Go to the source for a complete list of the foods tested by the researchers. More iron? 'Naturally'? Yup. Most women of child bearing age could use a tad more iron.

And another thing about cast iron cookware. It gets very very very hot. Don't say I didn't warn you (the next time you burn yourself you'll remember this warning...as will I....lol).

And oh yeah - cleaning? Elbow grease. Heat the pan with a bit of salt water if the going gets tough (no soap). Invest in some bbq/copper bristle brushes (I have a collection). And thoroughly dry the cast iron pan after washing - I always heat mine to dry either on the stove top or in the oven. Some people lightly grease their cast iron pans before storing...I only do that with my bakeware since I do not use it as often. I use most of my cast iron cookware at least once or more a week.

I have a ceramic glass top stove so if that's an excuse you've used then you'll be happy to hear that I've not had any problems using cast iron on top of my glass topped stove. Mind you, the times I've forgotten that cast iron gets hot hot hot have not involved the dropping of the cast iron onto my stove top and I hope that is a scenario I haven't invited upon myself now that I've written it - YIKES! Perhaps the good karma intended by sharing operational issues surrounding the use of cast iron will follow me on this one ;)

Buckwheat Cranberry Stuffed Chicken

2 - 4 organic bone-in chicken breasts $16.09/kg ON Beretta

Stuffing
1/2 cup buckwheat grits - I have used buckwheat flakes for this too $5.44/kg QC Karma
1/2 cup chopped cranberries $6.43/kg ? Karma
1 medium chopped organic onion $3.25/kg ON Karma
1 cup warm water
1/2 tsp organic yellow mustard seed ? ? Karma
1/2 tsp organic dried thyme $39.86/kg ON Karma
1/2 tsp organic dried sage $27.38/kg ON Karma
1/2 tsp organic dried rosemary $23.40/kg ON Karma
sea salt and pepper to taste
2 strips chopped uncooked organic bacon $17.24/kg ON Beretta


Mix the stuffing ingredients thoroughly. Stuff each breast by carefully separating the skin from the flesh on each breast and gently packing in the above mixture. Any leftover stuffing can be baked for about 30 minutes. Bake the stuffed chicken in a heavy covered pan at 350F for 45 minutes - 1 hour depending on the size of your chicken breasts. Keeping the lid on during the entire cooking time will help the chicken retain the moisture of the stuffing. Serve each breast drizzled with the pan drippings and the below stuffed squash ;)

Kale Mushroom Acorn Squash

1 organic squash $2.53/kg ON Karma
200 g organic variety mushrooms $11.74/kg ON Loblaws
1 bunch black kale $2.25/bunch CA Karma
3-5 cloves organic garlic $11.15/kg CA Karma

Clean and halve squash and bake for 40-50 minutes face down in an oven proof pan (don't forget to roast the seeds for about 15 minutes for a pre-dinner snack ;).

In another pan - preferably cast iron with a well fitting lid to use after roasting - add the mushrooms and garlic and roast in the oven alongside the squash for about 20 minutes . Take this mixture out when there is still about 10 minutes left for the squash. Add the prepared chopped kale to the roasted garlic/mushroom pan and cover but do not return this to the oven. The heat of the cast iron pan will soften the kale just enough without overcooking it. Add this mixture to the cooked squash and serve open faced as pictured. Each serving size is approximately 1/4 squash.

Cod Fish Soup Garnished with Cranberries

I have taken a liking to cranberries of late. They are loaded with lots of good stuff and available frozen at my food co-op. They add a tangy taste to everything and I'm thinking I could ditch lemon juice since the cranberries are local and lemons don't grow in Ontario.

Cod Fish Soup Garnished with Cranberries

0.5 kg Wild Caught Cod (add this directly to the prepared stock - do not worry about chopping because it will break up in the soup)

2 organic peppers..I used 1 yellow and 1 red..I wouldn't use green because they are too bitter
1 medium organic onion
Lightly grill the above in chopped pieces in order to bring out their taste.

4 cups water
2 stalks organic celery
3 medium organic potatoes (washed and peel if necessary)
1/8 cup Bonito flakes (mackerel fish flakes - these are good for fish stock)
1 tsp kelp (or use any ground chopped sea vegetables)

Use a food processor to puree the all of the above ingredients (except the cod).

Bring the above ingredients to a boil and then add the cod. Simmer for at least 45 minutes on low heat.

When serving, add pureed pure cranberries, dill, salt and pepper to taste.


This soup is wonderful due to the savoury rich taste of the cod and the sweetness of the peppers and cranberry. I served this with a salad of organic greens and chopped hot hungarian finger peppers and toasted gluten free corn bread (premade) with pure black olive tapenade (Minasso brand from Italy: GM, additive and preservative free).

I purchased the tapenade at Highland Farms grocery store. The rest were purchased at Karma Co-op ;)

This ain't the chipper: Organic Yams, Broccoli and Wild Caught Pacific Halibut

I lived briefly in Ireland by completing a co-operative work term there as part of my undergraduate mathematics degree at the University of Waterloo.

I packed in a lot in those 3.5 months including getting out a few times to the discos and rugby club parties with a childhood friend/penpal I had made from my grandparent's neighbourhood.

At that time, a big part of a night out was to visit to the local chipper on the way home after a night in the pubs. You picked the local chipper so you could get the taxi to drop you off at the chipper and you could walk home from there...sometimes with neighbours that were performing similar Saturday night rituals. The greasy 'food' would soak up the mess caused by the 'drink'. Today's chippers in Ireland seem to have revised their menu offerings (grilled meat and fresh salad? wow).

The passing of over twenty years sure has also revised my idea of an enjoyable Saturday night outing. I was at a moving performance of Tosca this past Saturday. Soul food like opera, shared with loved ones, is now a staple in my spiritual larder.

This Ain't the Chipper

1. Organic yams peeled and chopped: 1 hour of baking at 350 F lightly coat these with organic sunflower oil if desired $2.57/kg California
   
2. Wild caught pacific halibut rubbed with organic dried dill (pictured above is a 166 g steak): 45 minutes at 350F on a grilling pan. $33.05/kg BC
   
3. Organic broccoli - lightly steamed. $2.99/bunch California
   
4. Pure black olive tapenade (Minasso brand from Italy: GM, additive and preservative free). $16.61/kg Italy
   

The yams were of the Beauregard variety - these retain shape/texture quite well. Mercury levels in the pacific wild caught halibut are reasonable enough to allow me to recreate my own version of the ole' chipper a few times a year - even if it is a guilty indulgence.....sigh.....

I purchased the tapenade at Highland Farms grocery store. The rest of the above items were purchased at Loblaws at Bathurst and St. Clair. The turnover of fresh seafood is quite high there.

Gluten Free Caribbean Lunch with Hemp Slaw

I live in an area that has about an equal ratio of late night barber shops and jerk chicken outlets (and money cashing outlets....). I have yet to determine if any of the jerk chickens are suitable for my tomato free/gluten free diet so, in the past year or so, I've missed the quick and easy take out jerk chicken meals of some of the finer establishments close to me.

I was also imprinted as an infant/toddler by exposure to a couple of foreign born housekeeping nannies that expanded my parent's irish born food palate - think boiled and bland - considerably. One of my dearest memories was of my paternal grandfather gobbling up the spaghetti I'd made for him when I visited Ireland when I was 12 years old. I remember the quest I had to make through the irish markets to find suitable ingredients. That was in 1979 and Ireland, especially Cork city, had yet to be penetrated by global food influences. I remember also my grandmother telling me that it was called spaghetti bolognese, thank you very much. I wonder now what all of my grandparents would think of the global food plate. I don't think any of them would have stopped gardening and that's a legacy I hold onto.


This simple lunch used a couple of locally pre-made products that I enjoy.





Open Faced HOT(!) Turkey Sandwich
Little Stream produces an amazing gluten free buckwheat sourdough loaf (no yeast added) and Mado's Caribbean(mentioned in this thread but it is available at Karma co-op) produces yummy tomato free hot pepper sauce. I topped the bread with pre-cooked ground organic turkey(with thyme and sage added) from Beretta farms. I warmed this up in the toaster oven and note how little of the sauce I used. The sauce is quite hot yet very tasty.


Hemp Slaw
Chopped Organic Red Cabbage
Chopped Organic Carrots
Organic Greens
Dressing
2 tbsp pure pureed cranberries (available frozen)
1 tsp hemp oil
1 tsp Filsinger's raw un-filtered organic apple cider vinegar
1/8 tsp ground mustard seed

All of the above were purchased at Karma Co-op ;)

Gluten Free/Dairy Free Organic Soup with Roots

Roots. We all have 'em and we all should eat more of 'em. Blend 'em up and you get a medley. A melting pot if you will.

Canada has lots of roots.

I love that about her.

Organic Soup with Roots

The ingredients are in the picture on the top right and are listed (roughly) clockwise from the top:
6 cups chicken/turkey stock (I make my own whenever I cook any meat with bones). You could also use just water.
1 organic onion
1/8 head organic red cabbage
4 stalks organic purple kale
1 large organic carrot
1/2 cooked squash (I find it easier to peel when it is cooked)
3 small organic beets, peeled
3 organic jerusalem artichokes (well scrubbed)
1/2 organic burdock root (well scrubbed)
1 medium organic rutabaga
Use a blender and the stock to puree the above. Add to a large pan (I've used my cast iron dutch oven)
Sea salt, sage, rosemary and thyme to taste
Once this is boiled simmer for at least 1 hour.

This freezes well.

All of the above items were purchased at Karma Co-op ;)

Root Vegetables, Gingered Goat and Lightly Spiced Millet

This is a cornucopia of the selection of local root vegetables available in Ontario at this time of year. I roasted all of the following and prepared two different soups with the considerable amount of leftovers.

This endeavour took me the whole evening but I have a few mason jars full of yummy soup in my freezer too (just blend the leftovers with stock!).

Roasted Root Vegetables (bake at 350F for 45 minutes or so)
organic squash (in white dish)
organic beet (in glass dish - peel beets after baking to retain sweetness)
The following items are on a lightly oiled cast iron baking tray - items are listed left thru right:
organic sweet potato
organic jerusalem artichoke
purple sweet potato (a close up of this is provided in the top photo...so sweet and yummy!)
organic carrot
organic parsnip
organic onion (chopped on top)
Sprinkle with rosemary, sage, thyme and salt.

Serve with:

Lightly Spice Millet
Simmer preroasted millet for 20 minutes with available stock..I created a goat stock with the bones from the goat chops I purchased and deboned before preparing
Garnish this with chopped green mustard leaves for a slightly spicy flavour (and amazing nutrition).

Ginger Mustard Goat
Cubed goat meat (I used goat chops see above for the use of the bones)
Garlic
Ginger
Ground Mustard Seed
Bake the above with a small amount of sunflower oil for 30 minutes at 350F.

All of the above items except the goat and purple sweet potatoes were purchased at Karma Co-op ;)

Gluten Free Buckwheat Hemp Crackers

I found out two things tonight.

Firstly...making crackers is not that difficult. And - they are amazing!!

And secondly...I need a pastry cutter. I was never much of a pie person but if I'm gonna continue with any more cracker adventures then I'd be better off with one!

Gluten Free Buckwheat Hemp Crackers
2 cups organic dark buckwheat flour
2 tbsp hemp butter
1 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp organic sunflower oil
1 tsp sea salt
2/3 cup organic brown rice milk
white rice flour for rolling dough
garnish with additional sea salt if desired (up to 1 tsp)


Method:

Preheat oven to 425 F. Use ungreased cast iron cookie sheets for best heat distribution.

Combine all ingredients except the rice milk with a pastry cutter (or cut with a wooden spoon or your fingers). Mix this until the mixture looks a bit crumby.

Slowly stir in the rice milk until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. The mixture should be soft and you should be able to form a ball with the dough easily (it should not be runny or sticky).

Divide the dough into balls (2-4 depending on the size of your sheets). Lightly dust a dry surface with rice flour and roll the dough into a sheet 1/8" or thinner.

Trim the uneven edges (if desired) and use a spatula to lift the dough onto the sheets. Use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter to score the dough into desired cracker shapes.

Sprinkle the top with salt if desired and press into dough. Bake for 6-8 minutes or until the edges start turning up. Take sheets out of oven and turn over the crackers using tongs or gently with a spatula.

Return to the oven and bake an additional 5-7 minutes or until the edges are well browned. Remove from oven and cool crackers completely on racks.

Break crackers apart (if needed) and store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

All of the above items were purchased at Karma Co-op ;)

Dairy Free Broccoli Soup

1/2 bunch organic broccoli
1 organic white turnip
1 organic rutabaga
1 organic carrot (medium)
2 stalks celery
1 medium organic onion
2 cups organic turkey stock (I make my own stock and freeze 1 - 2 cup portions in glass jars)

Mix the above in a food processor until desired consistency is reached.

1/2 cup dulse added to mixture at the end or during cooking (seaweed from New Brunswick's Bay of Fundy).

Heat until boiling and simmer for at least 20 minutes. Add salt and white pepper to taste.

All of the above items were purchased at Karma Co-op ;)

Tomato Free Rice!

Here is a link to a company that sells an excellent but expensive tomato sauce substitute. I purchased this at a Toronto area health food store...but it is from the states and I think they ship it but maybe not outside of the U.S.

The ingredients are carrots, beets, celery, onions, lemon juice, citric acid and various spices.

I have tried to imitate this sauce with moderate success (my 13 y.o. daughter loved it so that is a good sign).

I used my food processor and ground up 1 med organic beet, 1 med organic carrot, 2 organic celery stalks, 1/2 large organic onion and about 2 cups water. I added salt and oregeno. I cooked 1 cup of organic brown long grain rice with this mixture for 40 minutes in a cast iron pan with a tight fitting lid...but quinoa or millet would work too (or amaranth...).

I served this with 125 g wild caught atlantic cod (baked for 20 minutes at 350 F with organic dried dill and organic lardons - ground ends from belly bacon - this is in imitation of the newfie method of serving cod) and baby organic spinach and a hemp oil/apple cider vinegar/cayenne dressing.

All of the above items except for the spinach were purchased at Karma Co-op ;)

18 Minute Prep: Quinoa, Purple Kale and Happy Braised Garlic Beef

Quinoa
1/3 cup organic quinoa per person
2/3 cup organic turkey broth per person (or water or other broth)
1/4 cup chopped onions per person
1 small organic carrot per person
1 stalk organic celery per person

Method: Measure quinoa into a heavy saucepan (I use cast iron). Roast the grain until slightly brown adding onions for a few minutes to also brown. Add broth/water and vegetables, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Purple Kale
1/2 - 3/4 cup organic purple kale per person
1 tbsp hemp oil
lemon juice/apple cider vinegar to taste
cayenne to taste

Method: Steam kale lightly and sprinkly hemp oil and condiments after removing from heat.

Happy Beef
115 g organic beef per person-I used round steaks since they are low in saturated fat
1 clove garlic per steak

Method: I pressed the garlic and then thinly sliced the clove to rub into the beef and sit for a few hours. I pre-heated a cast iron grill pan on broil before placing the steak on it and broiled lightly. Preheating the cast iron pan allows the steak to cook on both sides simultaneously!

All of the above items were purchased at Karma Co-op ;)

Toronto Take Away/Delivered Gluten, Dairy, Legume, & Tomato Free Pizza? Yes!

Thanks to my Mum & The Magic Oven (5 Toronto locations ;)

Yesterday was one of those days.....thus the pizza ;) This was exactly what was needed.

Ingredients:
GF Rice Flour Pizza
Purple Thai Pesto
Grilled Zucchini
Roasted Red Peppers
Roasted Portobellos
Artichoke Hearts
Tandoori Chicken

Each slice of this yummy pizza costs about $5.50 (including taxes) if you buy this version in the 6 slice 11" medium size (gluten free pizzas have an extra cost and the smallest size is a medium - I added their scrumptious tandoori chicken to a tomato free version of their Vegan pizza). The company uses mostly organic ingredients. Their website contains a lot of great menu ideas :)

This was the first pizza I've consumed since changing to my new very restricted diet (I ditched the tomatoes after watching this video around the end of November 2007). Two or three slices are very filling so I had it for two meals and one snack. I have yet to create my own version of a gf/df/lf/tf pizza but this was quite inspiring!

Hemp Buckwheat Protein Bread (gluten free)

(adapted from this recipe)

This is very dense but it is quite good toasted with marmite (UK). Or served with mackerel and fresh greens.

I purchased all of the ingredients (except one, noted below) at Karma Food Co-op.

Makes: 1 loaf

Prep Time: 10 min + rising time
Cook Time: 30 min - 45 minutes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 Cups Hemp Protein Powder
1/2 Cup Shelled Hemp Seed
1Tbsp Hemp Seed Oil
2 cups Organic Buckwheat flour (I use whole grain)
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup potato flour (purchased in Toronto's Chinatown)
1 tsp xanthan gum
2 Free Range Eggs
1 1/3 rice milk or Hemp Milk
2 Tbsp maple syrup
3 Tbsp Italian Spices(Marjarom, Thyme, Rosemary)
1 tsp Celtic Sea Salt
2 1/2 tsp yeast
5 cloves minced garlic (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a flat cookie sheet.
Mix all ingredients together, shape loaf on cookie sheet, let rise, then bake at 350 until golden brown.

I will update this post with a yeast free version once I get my sourdough starter started ;)

18 Minute Prep: Green Curry Steamed Scallops, Broccoli with fresh pineapple and baby arugula

This meal took about 18 minutes to prepare.

Why is 18 minutes important? Because that makes this recipe qualify for the Alice's Restaurant 21st century movement (recipes that can be prepped in 18 minutes or so which happens to be the length of the song of the same name).


I usually eat pineapple by itself with turmeric but once in awhile I like to mix fresh uncooked pineapple into a lightly cooked curry.

I used a gluten free green thai curry paste in lieu of fresh ingredients (January in Toronto Canada, 'nuf said).

I purchased all items from Karma food co-op except where noted (Karma does not supply these products).

nova scotia bay scallops(steamed about 15 minutes) 9 per person, I bought a few pounds of these fresh at Loblaw's at a sale last month and froze a few servings for myself

organic broccoli (steamed about 10 minutes) 1/2-3/4 cup per person...from this farm in California.....sigh...cost me a fortune too but there were not a lot of green local options at the co-op this week

I prepared and mixed the following from room temperature (while above was steaming).

pineapple 1/2 - 3/4 cup per person chopped into chunks (I always use fresh and peel it as I use it)
green thai curry paste 1/2 - 3/4 tsp per person or to taste
bonito flakes 1 tbsp per person or to taste
hemp oil 1 tbsp per person
turmeric 1/2 - 1 tsp per person

I also used the steamer to soften the rice paper sheets (purchased in Toronto's Chinatown).

I would use three sheets per person next time per person since two made them very bulky.

Add 1 cup baby arugula (Ontario grown!) and cayenne to garnish.

Creamy Sweet Salty and Spicy Chicken Salad (could be warmed)

Organic Beet (raw or cooked) - 1 medium sized root per person, I used raw finely chopped.
Organic Chicken (cooked) - one handful per person, I used leftover cold chicken.
Organic Squash (cooked) - 1/4-1/3 per person, I used leftover so it was cold but previously baked.
Regular Avocado (raw)- 1/2 per person, finely sliced after scooping out entire half
Regular Olive tapenade from Quebec (no tomatoes only olives and oil) - about 1 tbsp per person (at centre for garnish)
Apple Cider Vinegar, Cayenne, Hemp Oil, Sea Salt and Dulse to taste.

The dish could be warmed or slightly grilled. I've been enjoying the crunchy taste of raw beets this season so I didn't want to heat this salad. I like to eat all salads at room temperature so taking the ingredients out 1 hour before eating accommodates this.

Did you notice the creamy reference again? I'm only about 2 months completely off of dairy - I quit goat's milk/cheese @ Dec 1/2007 - so it's no wonder I'm seeking out ways to incorporate the creamy goodness of avocados into my diet more often!

There has come a time when there is a lot of food to eat but nothing good.

It is difficult to eat wisely in the middle of a 3 million person urban blotch on this planet.

And local? Don't even get me started.

My definition of local, in the city of Toronto, Canada, includes farmers in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Quebec, and New York (although it is hard to determine NY with our current packaging and produce identification laws).

I am currently a board member with Karma Food Coop and I also served on the Ebytown Food Coop board back in the mid 1990s.

This is how I have attempted to control the food I eat. Membership and involvement with local food cooperatives ensure that I know where and what I am putting as fuel into this body.

This blog intends to be part rant, part recipe digest, part nutrition info. I've had some history posting recipes on the web (see this link for a 1993 discussion group posting by moi :)

And the recipes? Gluten free/Legume free/Dairy free/Tomato free. That's how I live and I've found marvelous benefits. Getting an MS diagnosis kicked start me into this diet. No regrets - although it has been challenging after a life time of pizza....etc.